Janel McCarville is back, and goddamn, it's fun to watch that girl play. She's a little rusty connecting with her mates, and occasionally too tricky, but it's simply amazing what she does out there.

The opponent starts with some tight, physical defense, so McCarville sets a hard half-court pick and sends one of them to the floor. A couple minutes later, one of their guards drives the lane, McCarville rejects the shot and palms the ball in one motion; then, just for a moment, stands over her and stares her down.

Those are the kinds of plays that make fans love the game.

Minnesota looked solid. You can already see the payoff of success, as our new recruiting prowess has given us our deepest team ever. There are some chinks -- we are vulnerable to the press, and our guards can't feed the post.

Above all, it's nice to have the college season going again.